NKU and Gateway Announce Reverse Transfer Program

A new reverse transfer program between Northern Kentucky University and Gateway Community and Technical College will offer students the option of obtaining an associate’s degree even after transferring from Gateway to NKU.

“A community college education is an important step toward a fulfilling life and career,” said Gateway President/CEO Ed Hughes. “Our new reverse transfer program will properly reward those students who are making progress toward their bachelor’s degree at NKU. This is a great way to recognize the work they do at Gateway while also encouraging students to complete a bachelor’s degree.”

The reverse transfer agreement, signed today by both institutions, recognizes students’ achievements with an associate’s degree after they have transferred to a four-year institution and have accumulated the credits needed to fulfill the two-year degree program requirements. It also recognizes the degree completion for the community college, which receives no “credit” for the degree through current measures tracking completions. With the agreement in place, Gateway will be able to award more college degrees.

NKU officials say there are currently more than 50 students who may be eligible for the program. It targets students who earn at least 20 credit hours from Gateway before transferring to NKU and go on to earn a minimum of 90 total credit hours, with at least 15 earned at NKU.

“Our partnership with Gateway was strengthened last year with our Gateway2NKU degree pathway program and today marks another important step toward creating a seamless transition for students,” said NKU President Geoffrey Mearns. “We’re proud to partner again with Gateway to recognize the value of the associate degree and the hard work it takes to earn one. Sometimes students can get discouraged when they transfer to a four-year program and are suddenly further from their goal of graduating. Reverse transfer offers an incentive to stay motivated and on track to graduate with a degree from NKU.”

Nationally, reverse transfer programs have proven effective. Students who earn an associate degree through reverse transfer see retention rates at the four-year institution improve by 10 percent. And in an increasingly competitive job market, reverse transfer degrees can give an extra edge to recent graduates. Having both an associate’s and bachelor’s degree on a resume reflects a broader, more accurate view of a graduate’s skills and training received over time.

Last fall, NKU and Gateway announced the creation of a degree pathway program that begins with enrollment at Gateway and ends with a bachelor’s degree from NKU. The program, which initially included 25 distinct degree pathways, features dual admission in which participating students are enrolled simultaneously at NKU and Gateway, providing access to all student activities and services at both institutions as well as personalized academic advising. Gateway2NKU students can also take up to four NKU courses at Gateway’s tuition rates.